Kabul: A roadside bomb killed eight members of an Afghan family, including children, just hours after the Taliban claimed their upcoming spring offensive would "safeguard" civilian lives, officials said Thursday.
The blast ripped through the family`s vehicle in Khash Rod district of southwestern Nimroz province late Wednesday as they were travelling home.
"The roadside bomb hit a vehicle carrying a family, killing two men, one woman and four children," Ahmad Arab, spokesman for the provincial authorities, told AFP.
"Another family member who was wounded and taken to the hospital died later."
Amir Mohammad Akhundzada, the governor of the province, blamed the Taliban for the incident.
"The bomb had been planted to target Afghan security forces," he said.
The Taliban on Wednesday said their annual spring offensive will begin on Friday, vowing nationwide attacks in what is expected to be the bloodiest fighting season in a decade as NATO forces pull back from the frontlines.
In their statement, the Taliban said their top priority during the offensive will be to "safeguard and protect the lives and properties of civilian people".
No group claimed responsibility for Wednesday`s incident, but roadside bombs -- which often cause civilian casualties -- have been the Taliban`s weapon of choice in their 13-year war against foreign and Afghan forces.
The number of civilians killed and wounded jumped 22 percent in 2014 compared to the previous year, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
And in the first three months of 2015, civilian casualties from ground fighting were up eight percent on the same period last year, a new UNAMA report said.
